Finding Henry
by samanddianefan10
Summary: Henry, from above, works to save Lorraine and some of his 4077 friends from their own near death experiences.
1. Chapter 1

The rain poured down reminiscent of the widow's tears. The wind blew and the weatherman warned that the conditions were ripe for a severe thunderstorm. Lorraine Blake was prepared. The doors and windows were shut tight and the kids were safely playing in their rooms. She hated to drive in this weather but the mortgage payment must be sent. Thankfully her mother was there to watch the kids. She didn't know what she'd do without her, especially after Henry's death. Lorraine still nearly cried every time she stopped to think about the moment she heard the news.

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She'd been rearranging the living room furniture for what must have been the third time when the dreaded telegram came that turned her world around. Even though Henry had asked her not to, she had decided to re-cover the couch with a nice floral pattern. He wouldn't mind; he never questioned her decisions regarding her housework. The tiny brown and yellow print blended perfectly with the beige carpet, which had a stain from Molly's kitten. Lorraine had just assumed there would be time to redo them.

She was humming all day; she couldn't help it. Her beloved husband was finally coming home. Of all the things she couldn't wait to say to him it was :"how are you" that would mean the most. She never once dared ask him that in her letters, for she knew how he was. Trapped in a miserable war in conditions he did not wish to speak of, Henry chose to listen to her as she went about her business of talking about the events of her life. It was probably for the best that he didn't speak of the events of his, for the horrors were that great. He never sounded unhappy when he talked to her on the phone but she could only guess what he was hiding. Then again he never was one to get down. He was a pretty happy guy, that was one of the reasons she fell in love with him. If something was bothering him, he didn't show it, at least not with her. He didn't show his feelings too often but she knew he cared about her. He was a wonderful provider, and she was the envy of many of her friends.

But not today. For today the messenger came with the fateful telegram. " The United States Armed Forces regrets to inform you that Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake has been killed in the line of duty…." The paper fell to the ground as she slammed the door in the messenger's face, which was surely not the first time he'd witnessed such an occurrence. Dead…her husband was dead! Certainly there was a mistake. In the line of duty? He was on his way home for goodness' sake. There was no more duty for him to perform. He'd fulfilled his obligation. His place was at home with his family. Her mind raced with the first thoughts that came to mind. But he wasn't even in a combat unit. He was a surgeon for crying out loud. And then there were the children! What would she tell the children? How would they understand that Daddy would never come home?

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Oh how she cried over that man. Every day since Henry Blake had passed had seemed like a nightmare that would never end. They say time heals all wounds. If you've ever lost a loved one, you would know that it is not so. You learn to live with the loss, but you are never "healed" from the pain. Sometimes Lorraine would roll over in her sleep and imagine that she would find her husband next to her. And when she opened her eyes to see the empty space the grief would start again.

And she'd cried when she received letters of condolence from members of the 4077. She couldn't believe how thoughtful they had been to put into words how much her husband had meant to them. Hawkeye Pierce, in particular, had penned an especially eloquent letter that shared some examples of her husband's kindness and good humor. From what she gathered he seemed to have been the closest to her husband, although this Radar O'Reilly seemed quite fond of Henry as well. They all were, it seemed.

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On this day Lorraine needed to pay the mortgage. After checking in on the kids and saying goodbye to her mother, she headed out to town. She hated paying the bills. It was something Henry always took care of. He would be so proud of her now. It was a particularly difficult date, as it was their wedding anniversary. She'd tried to stay busy that day by playing with the kids and cooking a nice dinner. She even made a chocolate cake, Henry's favorite. It should be cool enough to frost and eat by the time she got back.

Not a day went by that she didn't think of Henry. One of her friends recently suggested that Lorraine be introduced to her friend's cousin, a lawyer. It was just too soon to even think about dating. Lorraine was almost insulted at the idea. Why no one could ever take Henry's place. Not with her, and certainly not with the kids.

Lorraine had a lot on her mind when the rain started pouring down suddenly. Lightening flashed as the car suddenly spun out of control. She hit the breaks and the car skidded wildly and she knew that she was in trouble. All she could see was the car but all she could think about was Henry and the kids. She desperately hit the brakes to the car but it was no use. The car was spinning out of control. She could hear her own scream even though she knew it was pointless. She could see two telephone posts and she was likely to hit either one of them.. There was nothing she could do to stop but prepare for impact. This was it. Was this what Henry experienced in the plane before it went down? Her ears popped as she held on for dear life. Lorraine furiously overcorrected the steering wheel despite the terrible knowledge of what was about to happen. She was going to crash and she shut her eyes.

And then out of nowhere a presence made itself known Something that felt like a curiously strong gust of wind pushed the car. And then the car stopped dead set in between the two telephone poles. Lorraine opened her eyes one by one, looking at her surroundings. This couldn't be real. She had survived the car accident. Badly shaken, she opened the door and stepped outside. It didn't matter that it was pouring down rain. She was alive, and she didn't know how. Now she remembered. Something had guided her car, that much she was certain of. She stepped back and looked at the placement of the car. What are the odds of the car landing in between two telephone poles? She should have been dead. Something had happened that she couldn't explain. Something, or someone had caused her to land safely in that ditch. There was no doubt in her mind who that someone was. Henry had made a promise to protect her, and he saw to it to the very end.

**A/N: I was in a car accident scenario exactly like this one. I was a passenger in the car and a driver hit us, causing us to land in between two telephone poles. I even felt the gust of wind pushing the car. To this day I believe I had someone on my side.:) ……..Melinda**


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy. Look at what I won. A bottle of Japanase scotch. Do you know how drunk I'm going to get tonight? My hands already need a sobriety test."

Hawkeye gleefully showed the bottle of alcohol to his roommate B.J. It had taken some smooth talking and fast playing, but he had won himself quite the deal in last night's round of poker. A visiting colonel had offered the tonic as collateral, and Hawkeye had gladly accepted. It would be a nice chance of pace from his beloved lighter-fluid martini that his liver had grown ever so used to.

"I know, I know, I was there, remember I'd like to forget about it if you don't mind. Peg's going to kill me.?" B.J. moaned, sore after losing a hundred bucks. He was going to have a hard time explaining that to Peg.

"And that stuff could kill you if you're not careful. There have been rumors about bad batches. Maybe you shouldn't take any chances…."

"Nonsense. I'll be just fine, but thanks for your concern, Mom. You'll be seeing the results of this firsthand. But nothing says I have to hold off on the other good stuff." Hawkeye said as he set his bottle down. He walked over and poured himself a martini.

"Now that I'm up for."

"Good, I'd hate to think you were a complete spoilsport."

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"Sir," a hirsute man wearing a black mourning dress approached the colonel's' desk holding a letter an envelope. Klinger was always dressed in a woman's getup, and this wasn't the first occasion he'd been spotted in mourning ware. The native Ohioian was desperate to get out of the army and would stop at nothing to get the attention of his commanding officer. Today was to be no exception.

"Son, what is it? I'm awfully busy filling out form out to my neck. And black is your color but I really don't think I should be listening to what you're about to say." Colonel Potter said as he shuffled some papers around on his desk.

"You might feel differently after you hear this letter! 'Dear Max. I hope this letter finds you doing well. You must certainly be doing better than the rest of the family, even though that is hard to imagine. I'm so sorry to tell you this but your father has taken a turn for the worst. He is ill and is no longer able to provide for the family. I just don't know how we're going to make it now that he's bedridden. Your high school friend Abdul came home on a hardship discharge because his father was no longer able to care for the family. Do you suppose you can arrange it with your commanding officer to return home, as you are so desperately need….'"

Colonel Potter put his hand in the air. "Hold it right there, mister. Do you mean to tell me that your father…your previously deceased father…has taken ill and you are to be discharged from the army?"

Klinger nodded. "If that's your decision, sir. I wouldn't want to argue with you."

"You wouldn't want to argue with me but you'd want to waste my time with this half-baked, hare brained scheme of yours! Why, you ought to be ashamed of yourself! As it is I'm ashamed enough for the both of us. Now get out of here before I kick you out. Understand?"

"You'll be sorry for this! I'm leaving this army one way or the other. This is the last day you or anyone else will hear of Maxwell Q. Klinger. I've had enough of this drag. It's inhumane keeping me in here. I'm serious. As of today there will be no more Max Klinger!" He raised his fist in the air for effect.

Colonel Potter grabbed Klinger's fist and led him out into the hallway, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Unbelievable." Potter could be heard muttering as he returned to his piles of paperwork.

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"Oh Frank, Don't stop." Margaret called out as her lover kissed her neck. They were lying down in the grass in a secluded area where no one could see them, enjoying a picnic lunch. Frank had picked some flowers for her.

"Oh my darling, how I miss you already. And I haven't even left yet." He giggled.

"Why did you have to ask for leave? You know I can't bear the thought of us being apart."

"But Margaret…Tokyo's very nice. They have restaurants and hotels and bars. You should go there. You'd like it very much. It reminds me of you. A lot of splash and action. Bold and brave.."

"I've been there. But you're right. I should go there." She pulled away. "Oh Frank! I should talk to Colonel Potter! I bet I could arrange a pass to go there too. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Just the two of us, away from camp? No one to spy on us… how romantic. I'm sure I can get him to agree. He'll never know why I want to go. Just trust me. I can handle myself."

"But darling, don't you think it's a bit…risky?"

"No, it's perfect! No one will think twice of it. I'll make sure of it. And we'll have the whole weekend to ourselves. Now let's get back so I can talk to him." She said, pulling herself to her feet.

Frank knew better than to argue. Once Margaret Houlihan put her mind to something, she got her way, as Colonel Potter would soon find out.

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_One of my surgeons and my chief nurse taking a long weekend. I thought that Margaret would never shut up about it. I can't say that I blame her. She works hard and doesn't ask for much. But I can blame Klinger for his crazy stunt that he pulled. I hope he doesn't go and do something crazy. What in the world goes through that boy's mind? It makes me wonder at times how Henry Blake put up with him. I'd like to have met that man. From what I hear he was a real good surgeon and a top class fellow. Sometimes I wonder if I should bring him up to Hawkeye. It might do him some good to talk about him. _

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Meanwhile Henry was watching all of this with a bit of anxiety. As much as he liked Sherman, (even though he was a bit by the book) he wished that he had handled everything differently. Klinger definitely needed to be stopped. Lord knows it was hard to take that man seriously, but in this case someone should step in. One could only hope that someone would find Klinger before it was too late. And sending Margaret with Frank was a recipe for disaster in any case, but now it was a deadly one. And Hawkeye was good at giving advice but not taking it, should definitely take heed at B.J.'s warning. But how could he, Henry, intervene? That was not possible, or was it?


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh, Frank, we did it." An exuberant Margaret declared as she ran her hands through the driver's hair. "We're really and truly going to be alone. Imagine how much fun we're going to have! You and me, alone…we can have candlelit dinners…long walks…and just think, no one to stick their nose in where it doesn't belong. Just you and me!"

"Just you and me. No Hawkeye or B.J.! You don't know how the thought of those two just burns my boils." he giggled. "I can hardly wait. Already the grass seems a little greener. The air seems a little cleaner. The flowers seem a little…flowery."

She frowned as she pulled away from him. "You sound more excited talking about those two than you do about me."

"Now, darling, don't be that way. It's just you know how those two gang up on me. They're so unfair. I can hardly relax with those two around. Now I have a chance to be myself. You get me, the great Frank Burns…isn't that what you've always dreamt about?"

"Well since you've put it that way….Let's not talk about those two anymore. I don't want anything to spoil this wonderful occasion." Margaret placed her hand on his knee and smiled contentedly.

"Now, dear, let's be reasonable. You know I get nervous with public displays of affection. My wife tried that one time. I got so excited that I drove ten miles in the wrong direction. That's one good thing about having two cars. I'm less of a temptation for her that way." Frank smirked. He didn't mean to come across as bragging. His insecurities got the better of him and caused him to put his foot in his mouth as usual. He rarely thought of Margaret's feelings, and it caused many disagreements between the two of them. However she was determined not to let anything ruin this weekend.

His wife. Just the very thought of her made Margaret sick. It was going to take every effort not to put Frank in his place. After all, she had really twisted Colonel Potter's arm to get this pass and she didn't want it to go to waste. But if he thought he would spend the whole time talking about his wife he had another thought coming to him.

"Thank you. I knew you'd understand." He said once she'd removed her hand. "You really do understand me. I wish my wife understood me."

Margaret beamed. "I do understand you. You're a complicated man with complicated needs. I don't know why anyone would give you a hard way to go. You're a great man, Frank Burns, and you're destined for great things. Be careful! They're shooting at us! They're going to kill us!" she screamed as gunfire rang out, narrowly missing their jeep.

Frank sped up, trying to avoid being shot. Margaret's screams did nothing to help his nerves. Finally the bullet hit its target, penetrating the rear tire. They were in serious trouble. They both felt the loss of control of the jeep, although Frank desperately gripped the steering wheel for dear life.

Margaret realized what people talked about when their lives flashed before their lives. It happened in slow motion, like a movie reel that was giving out. She quickly prayed that if death was going to happen, that it would happen quickly. She'd seen too much suffering in her years as a nurse for her to want to experience it herself. And then there was Frank. She was more frightened for him than she was for himself. She knew he was far too fragile to handle any pain. Her poor, poor Frank. She took one look at him and saw his head hit the steering wheel as he swore, louder than her own screams. She desperately looked for something to hold on to but found nothing and catapulted out of the jeep. The jeep continued to spin, miraculously veering off to the left of her body until it hit a nearby tree. Neither Margaret or Frank would ever forget the sound of crunching metal as long as they lived.

Even if they wanted to, they both realized they couldn't move until the shooting had stopped. On top of that, unbearable pain wracked through both of their bodies. Frank was sure that he was dying. What was that sound? Where was it coming from? There was a dull ache in his skull until he finally gave in to the pain. As a surgeon he knew the worst thing he could do was sleep but as a patient there was nothing he could do. The pain was terrible and overbearing. The last thing he remembered was calling out for Margaret but getting no answer.

Margaret however lay down in a pool of her own blood. She remained conscious, although she couldn't move. It was difficult for her to breathe, and she surmised that at least one of her ribs were broken.

"Frank." She whispered. "Frank."

It was no use. She had never been so frightened in her whole life.

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Henry, meanwhile, was watching the whole scene unfold. He cringed, knowing how dire the situation was. Margaret and Frank had to get immediate help, or they would die. The couple lay helpless and Henry could do nothing on his own. But there was another situation unfolding in the 4077 that could come into play. The only question is timing…would it be too late to save Margaret and Frank?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know that Andrew was born during the show. But they rapidly aged him. He was picking on his sister during one episode and taking trombone lessons during Henry's final episode so that is the age I am going by. And Radar has a bunny named Cotton. Thank you so much for the reviews!:) **

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Radar didn't think about Henry every day, but he missed him a lot. It was hard not to think of his gentle smile, his good hearted wit and his friendly banter. It was the little things that reminded Radar of Henry. Every time he saw a thermometer he was reminded of the one that Henry gave him. When he walked into the Colonel's office and saw Sherman Potter there it was hard not to think of the father figure that sat there prior to his arrival. During the weekly poker games the guys put together Radar almost wanted to save a seat for his lost friend. Henry Blake was lost but his spirit was everywhere in the 4077.

There were so many things Radar had wanted to say but hadn't had the opportunity. They had talked about getting together after the war but never set a date. They had mentioned Radar's visiting Illinois but would what if the reverse was true? What would Henry have been like in Iowa? Of course, being the good and loyal family man that he was, he never would have left Lorraine and the kids. That was one of the reasons Radar respected the colonel so much. Instead he imagined what a conversation between the two of them might have been like had they met up.

"_Hey kiddo." Said Henry, smoking his trademark cigar at the local café where they agreed to meet._

"_Hello, sir. Good to see you. It's been a long time." Radar was so nervous that he spilled his Coca-Cola. Henry quickly grabbed some napkins and wiped up the mess before Radar could._

"_Yes it has. So tell me, how's farm life treating you? How are the crops this year? And knock it off with the 'sir' business, will ya? We're out of the service and I really don't need a reminder of my time over there. No offense."_

"_Of course, sir. I mean, I'm sorry. Okay." Radar smiled nervously. The waitress thankfully broke up the moment by delivering another drink. "The crops are doing real good. Ma says we might need to hire some help for a few weeks. Uncle Ed says that's nonsense, there's nothing the three of us can't handle. We just have to add another hour to every day. We had a burst of rain that helped things along. It gets real exciting around the house with the two of them trying to make up their minds. How is your family, sir, I mean Colonel?"_

_Henry frowned at the title. He sure didn't need another reminder of his military service. He was home now and that was where he belonged. "Oh, they are great. Remember how I lost all that weight? Well I've put it back on, thanks to Lorraine's cooking. The kids are doing well. Andrew's keeping up with his trombone lessons and to be honest is driving me nuts! Janie's joined the Girl Scouts. Molly's planning sleepovers with her friends and I'm telling you Radar, there's nothing like being home."_

"_I'll say!" The corporal agreed._

_The food arrived, and the men grew silent. Finally Henry spoke up._

"_Say, Radar. Remember that time we had a sniper in the camp? You saw more of me in the shower than Lorraine ever has." _

_Radar blushed, while Henry laughed._

"_Seriously, you're a good egg. I knew you'd be alright. It's been good to see you."_

"_It's been real good to see you too, sir." Radar couldn't help it. Henry Blake would always be 'sir.' _

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Radar was tending to his menagerie of animals when one of them caught his eye. Cotton the rabbit hadn't touched her food for the third day, and it appeared that she'd gotten sick. Immediately he thought of one person who might be able to help him.

He grabbed the rabbit and ran to the Swamp.

"Hawkeye." He knocked on the door. "You gotta help me!"

"Open." Said the surgeon who was getting ready to pour himself a glass of his bottle of Japanese scotch. He set it down on the ground as soon as he saw his company.

Radar walked in, quiet disturbed. "It's Cotton. Something's wrong with her. She's not eating. She's real sick. You gotta do something!" he pleaded.

"I'm not sure of what I can do. I'm not a vet. What are you feeding her?"

"Fresh grass."

"Give her dried grass and plenty of water. It sounds like she has a parasite."

"Gee thanks! I never would have thought of that." In Radar's excitement he loosened his grip on the rabbit. It hopped out of his arms and on to the floor, knocking over the scotch in the process. Hawkeye quickly picked up the bottle which was now half empty.

"Oh geesh, Radar! Grab that gosh darn bunny." The two men made a mad dash, running in circles before Hawkeye finally captured it.

"Thank you, Hawkeye. You saved Cotton's live twice now." Radar declared.

"Thanks. Now do me a favor and get that thing back in its cage before it knocks over any more bottles."

As Radar left, Hawkeye looked at the glass bottle. As the day progressed the temperature had increased along with his thirst. Hawkeye found himself unusually bored as B.J. was working post-op. Frank was in Tokyo. What was a man to do? That bottle was calling his name. What a waste of a perfectly good glass of alcohol, he thought. Or was it. What if B.J.'s right? What if this was a bad batch? The dangers were real. He could go blind. He could die. Is that something he was prepared to deal with? Did he need a drink that badly that he was willing to play Russian roulette with his life? What did this say about him? It was time to throw out the rest of the bottle. It couldn't be that bad, it was already half gone anyhow. What a shame. Sometimes you bite the bullet.

Just like sometimes you hear the bullet. The title of his childhood friend's never-to-be finished book flashed through Hawkeye's mind. The friend he watched die right before his eyes. As hard as he tried the surgeon just couldn't save the live of Tommy Gillis. The bloody image of his friend still haunted him to this day. The knowledge that he couldn't save his friend was something he would never be able to shake for as long as he would live. Tommy's last words still echoed through Hawkeye's ears. And then there was the man who got him through Tommy's death, a man who would soon be gone himself- Henry Blake.

"There are certain rules about a war. And rule number one is young men die." Henry had told him. the terribly prophetic statement stung into a painful memory.

He needed a drink. He didn't just want one, he had to have one.

Henry was watching the scene in frustration. He saw how badly his friend was hurting and knew that there was nothing he could do to help him. Not with his emotional pain anyhow. There was one man who was not going to die, not tonight.

Hawkeye grabbed the bottle.

"What the…" he started to curse as the bottle slipped from his hands and crashed to the ground. _. _

If only Hawkeye knew.


	5. Chapter 5

Klinger had finally done it. He'd made the decision to go AWOL and had taken steps to ensure his plan's success. He'd learned that Lieutenant Greg Ferguson was headed towards the airport and made arrangements to ride with him.

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Finally the gunfire stopped. Margaret moaned as she lay on the dusty ground. She felt queasy as another wave of pain shot through her body. Fortunately the blood had been contained to a scraping of her chest. There was a fire in her chest that wouldn't go away. She closed her eyes and counted to one hundred as she waited for the latest round of pain to stop. Finally she opened her eyes and allowed the sunlight to radiate its warmth upon her face. Its sensation was a welcome contrast to the ache that she was experiencing.

She looked for the jeep, determined to get to Frank. Frank! Was he alright? Had he survived? She was injured, and was in a great deal of pain. Memories of the accident flooded her mind, but there was no time to think about that. It was time to focus on survival. Looking up at the mangled mess of the jeep, she knew she was lucky to be alive. She looked down at her tattered shirt and her badly skinned chest and knew that she had broken a rib. The sight momentarily caught her off guard but it didn't frighten her; after all she was used to the sight of blood. Margaret knew she was fortunate that she didn't puncture a lung; she would be alright in a month or two at the most. Carefully she stood up and slowly she made her way over to the jeep.

"Frank….Frank…" she whispered as walked around to the driver's side. He was waking up as she grabbed his wrist to check his pulse.

"What happened?"

"We were in an accident. Don't panic. We're going to be alright." She gently touched his forehead.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He grabbed her hands and noticed her chest. "We've got to get you help!"

"Margaret, we've got to get out of here. This is no place for an accident! People can see us!" he said as he tended to her wound. "They'll find us. We're sitting ducks."

She took a deep breath out of habit, immediately regretting it. She could only hope that Frank could be reasoned with.

"Now darling, now's not the time to panic…"

"Now's the perfect time to panic! We're stuck in the middle of nowhere with no transportation Meanwhile no one's going to have the sense to look for us for three days. What do you suggest we do?"

Margaret wanted to believe that it was only the concussion talking. It had to be. Certainly Frank Burns, the man she loved, wouldn't be so eager to throw in the towel at the first sign of trouble. Why she'd just have to convince him that all was not what it seemed. He wouldn't be the first man in her life who she needed to give a little direction to. And he certainly wouldn't be the last. Still, it would be nice if he could pull his own weight and come up with a solution.

"We're just going to have to walk." Margaret decided, ignoring her own pain.

"We can't leave the jeep! How will they ever find us?"

"Oh Frank, don't be a marshmallow." She said, irritated. "Now let's grab our sacks and get going. Maybe we can find a hut for me to stay in on the way back. But we have to go"

"Yes, darling, of course you're right." He finally agreed. And the two headed back towards camp.

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Klinger was feeling pangs of guilt. He knew what he was doing was not right. He would not miss the army, but he would miss the people. Hawkeye had been the heart of the joint, keeping the place in stitches. The man from Maine was the most dedicated doctor Klinger had ever met, and his presence was always felt in any room he was ever in. Trapper was also a good guy and could be counted on a good laugh. Major Houlihan was one tough bird and was always coming down on him for the slightest infractions, but she was a good nurse. Radar sure knew his job and was a guy you could depend on. Major Burns was, well, Major Burns. Klinger didn't know Colonel Potter very well and felt bad about betraying his trust. The man had put up with his schemes patiently much like Colonel Blake had. Colonel Blake…Klinger never understood why the jovial man had to be taken from the earth at such a young age.

At the thought of the former commander the Ohioian lowered his head. Just then he spotted the remains of a jeep.

"You have to stop. You have to pull this thing over!" he declared with certainty.

"I can't. I have a schedule to keep." Lieutenant Ferguson replied.

"No, this is important! You have to see if someone needs help. There's been an accident. Just stop for a second."

And so the chopper stopped. The corporal hopped out and looked around. In the distance he could make out two figures walking.

"I'll be right back." He told the lieutenant. He knew now that he had to return to camp, but his efforts had served a higher purpose.

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Henry Blake was a humble man. He wasn't sure why folks were thinking of him so much lately. Of course he felt blessed to be remembered, as anyone would. His time on earth may have been short but he'd lived a lifetime in his short span. Now that he'd been deceased for a short time, he'd made peace with the memories of his past. True, he's been far from a perfect husband. But he'd provided for Lorraine and loved her in the best way he'd known how. And if he hadn't been in that dreaded war he never would have touched another woman. Or so he liked to have believed. But that was neither here nor there, he supposed. There was the time Lorraine had given her permission to date other women. It had torn him apart when he realized that was because she herself had been tempted by another man. He'd cried, and he wasn't a man given to fits of tears. Funny how times like that make you reevaluate your priorities. Henry sure has his priorities straight now. If only he hadn't learned his lessons too late…Maybe if he had things to do over again he would have been faithful. He sure liked to believe that.

He'd witnessed the grief his fellow comrades had suffered over his loss. Hawkeye and Radar in particular had taken the news particularly badly. Hawkeye had lost sleep and refused to eat. There were so many things Henry had wanted to say to him.

_Be strong and look out for the rest of the guys. They look up to you. Especially Radar. Find someone whose shoulders you can lean on because you're gonna need them. I don't care if it's Sidney. You can't be chief surgeon by yourself. You think I was colonel by my lonesome? Your mind gets a little overworked so take it easy. Easier said than done. That's not a judgment, that's a fact. Anyone who spends five minutes with you can see that. But believe me, if there's anything I say you take to heart it's this- don't hold it all in. It'll eat you up inside._

Henry knew that life would go on, as well as it should. There would be many more trials for each of them to face. Hawkeye would have his own demons to face. The crew would continue to stare death in the eye on a regular basis. He couldn't fight their battles for them, but Henry Blake would live on in the heart of the MASH 4077.

The end


End file.
